Jamela Daniels is seeking to make an impact by offering advertisers an unusual vehicle — literally — for getting their message across.

The 31-year-old set up her own business, Impact Media, last June and has already made her presence felt on the Island's public transportation.

Her idea of placing ads on specially made plastic handles on Bermuda's buses has already found several takers.

Her biggest client is the National Drug Control Department and several private sector companies, including Hunt's, have followed suit.

Ms Daniels has a degree in fashion communications and merchandising and has worked for several media companies on the Island, including the Bermuda Sun, Fresh TV and VSB.

She first had her idea for advertising on the buses about three years ago.

"I was working from nine to five for a local employer, then I was staying up until 2am working on this concept and other proposals," she said.

"I felt I wanted to do something for myself. It took about six to eight months to get the proposal completed. I had to research the materials, the safety requirements and getting the right size. A lot of work and sweat went into it."

Ms Daniels said public transport bosses had taken a long time to approve the idea and it was another six months after approval that the handles were implemented, as she waited for the handles to be custom-made in China and shipped to the Island.

"When you advertise on the bus, you have a captive audience," Ms Daniels said. "People are sitting there, doing nothing except looking around, so they are definitely going to see your ad."

Most buses have 24 handles, each of which can have an ad on both sides. The Department for National Drug Control saw bus advertising as a good way of spreading its message to combat drug abuse. So it advertised through Impact Media's handles on nearly half the Island's fleet, taking 12 handles on each of 60 buses.

"We've had great feedback from the ads," said Shavana Wilson, a prevention officer with the Department for National Drug Control.

Ms Daniels uses three freelance graphic designers to help her produce the ads for the handles and said an order can be turned into a bus advertisement in about 48 hours.

"I have to physically go on the buses and place the ads at night when the buses are not running," she said. "It's not like posting it on the Internet."

Each ad is assigned to a particular licence plate and advertisers have options on how many handles they take.

Ms Daniels is working on other unusual ways to advertise and hopes to unveil her next idea soon.

Asked how she thought her business would look in five years' time, she said: " I would hope to have a lot more innovative products, not just for transportation, but in general.

"I'm hoping that Impact Media will be a household name and that people will buy into the concept I'm trying to put out there and be open to new media ideas."

For more information, Ms Daniels can be contacted at impactmediabda@gmail.com or 599-3338.